Date post: | 16-Jul-2015 |
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Law |
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Preeti Dwivedi
Sociology Department,
Mahila Mahavidyalaya (P.G.) College, Kanpur,
India
“Pattern of abusive behaviour in any
relationship that is used by the partner to
gain or maintain power and control over
another intimate partner” is known as
Domestic Violence.
(U.S. Office on violence against women)
Women are placed in an esteemed and
honoured status in the Indian religious
scriptures. On the other hand sati pratha,
polygamy, restriction on widow’s marriage
were some aspects of female victimization
shows that they were subjected to a variety
of exploitation, violence and aggression by
the hands of their parents, siblings, relatives
and society at large scale since years;
domestic violence is one of them.
Domestic violence takes many forms within
household and in most of all cases victims
are women and perpetrated by male.
In India, women are subjected to violence
either unmarried or married from members
of both natal and marital home as well as
before birth in the form of female foeticide
and infanticide.
Married women are more likely to experience
physical, psychological or sexual violence by
their husbands than by anyone else.
Wife – beating is found as the most common
practice of domestic violence, while
humiliating words used by their husbands and
relatives, forced women to go back to their
parents, threats to thrown them out were
also frequently reported types of violence
against women in India.
International Clinical Epidemiologists Network(INCLEN), 2000, found domestic violence as aproblem that cuts across age, education, socialclass and religion in India. It was also found that40% women had experienced at least one form ofphysical violence in their married life.
According to National Crime Record Bureau(NCRB) 1991, at every 33 minutes one Indianwomen is being abused by her husband.
According to a community and hospital basedprospective study, conducted during 1993 – 95 inIndia, 16% of the deaths in pregnancy werecaused by domestic violence.
National Family Health Survey (NFHS-3)
reported that only one in four abused women
have ever sought help to try to end the
violence they have experienced. And only 2%
of the abused women have ever sought help
from the police.
WHO reports in 2007 that the proportion of
women who had ever experienced physical or
sexual violence or both by an intimate
partner ranged from 15 – 71%.
Domestic violence has serious consequenceson women’s mental and physical healthincluding their reproductive and sexualhealth. According to WHO (2001) batteredwomen are subject to twice the risk ofmiscarriage and 4 times the risk of having ababy that is below average weight.
National Family Health Survey (NFHS-3)report concluded that the prevalence ofspousal physical or sexual violence is muchhigher among women from the pooresthousehold (49%) than among women in thewealthier household (18%).
National Family Health Survey III, carried out in29 states during 2005 – 06, has found that asubstantial proportion of married women havebeen physically or sexually abused by theirhusbands at some time in their lives. The surveyindicated that nationwide 37.2% of womenexperienced violence after marriage.
Bihar state was found to be the most violent,with the abuse rate against married womenbeing as high as 59%. It was followed byRajasthan (46.3%), Madhya Pradesh(45.8%),Manipur (43.9%), Uttar Pradesh (42.4%), TamilNadu (41.9%) and West Bengal (40.3%) (NFHS III).
o Present study is an attempt to investigate
the problem of domestic violence against
women in India, its causes and
consequences. The study is an empirical
work and is conducted in Allahabad city of
Northern Indian state Uttar Pradesh. For the
same purpose 120 married women who are
victims of domestic violence are selected as
a sample through snow ball sampling
method. Data are collected through in –
depth interviews of the victims.
More than half of the respondents (68%) are inbetween 16 – 35 years. Thus younger women aremore prone to the violent attacks than the olderone.
Caste – wise distribution shows that domesticviolence is prevalent in all caste categories evenin the minority group in India.
Most of the victims of domestic violence areeither house – wife (47%) or engage in the worksof low social status like labour (20%) or maidservants (14%). It shows that women who areeconomically dependent or lower socio –economic status have been found to be stronglyrelated to the risk of domestic violence.
Educational level of the victims show thatilliterate as well as highly educated women bothare experiencing violent atrocities behind theclosed doors, but still is more prevalent inilliterate (31.7%) or primary educated women(20.8%).
From the economic status of the respondents, itis found that about 41% of the respondentsbelong to Lower Economic Class and 20% arefrom Lower Middle Economic Class. Only 11% ofthe respondents are from Upper Economic Classand 10% of them are from families belong toUpper Middle Economic class. Thus those womenbelong to lower economic status are more proneto frequent violent attacks.
Physical Violence (57%)
Emotional Violence (21%)
Sexual Violence (8%)
Economic Violence (14%)
Physical attacks are most frequent form of
domestic violence in India (57%) and
experienced by most of the women belonging
to Lower Economic Class or Lower Middle
Economic Class.
Emotional violence are experienced by most
of the women belonging to Upper Class or
Upper Middle Class families.
Husband (39%)
Mother –in-law (22%)
Sister – in – law (16%)
Brother – in – law (9%)
Father – in – law (8%)
Relatives of husband (6%)
Daily (18%)
More than one times in a week (19%)
More than one times in a month (15%)
More than one times in a year (16%)
Not certain (22%)
Occasionally (10%)
Alcohol addiction of husband is prominent
cause of domestic violence against women
informed by 30% of the victims.
18.3% of the respondents told that their
husbands or in – laws batter them if they
disobey either to their husband or their in –
laws.
Dowry (13.3%), suspect about extra marital
affairs of the victims (10%), unemployment
of male partners (8.3%), dissatisfaction with
household roles played by respondents (9.2%)
are also access as prominent causes of
violence.
10.8% of the respondents informed that they
experience violence due to their infertility
problems (6%) or give birth female child only
(4.8%).
All the victims of domestic violence do notprefer to seek help from any source and try todeal their violent situation with its own strategyin the first instance.
When the situation goes beyond their control50(41.7%) of the victims approach to theinformal sources with a hope that such sourcewill be better equipped to face the abusivesituation.
Out of 50(41.7%) of the victims 24(48%) prefer toseek help from their parents, than their closefriends 17(34%). Only 9 (18%) of them approachto their relatives to take the help of them.
It is also found that out of 50 (41.7%) of therespondents most of them (70%) are suggested toadjust even in such abusive environment. On theother hand 7(14%) of the victims are advised fordivorce, while 8 (16%) of them are advised fortaking help from formal agencies like police,NGOs, judiciary body etc.
It is very interesting to note that out of 50(41.7%) of the respondents, only 6% of them seekhelp from formal agencies. They seek help fromformal sources, when they fail to getappropriate help from informal source and hasno other alternative other than to seek helpfrom formal sources.
64% of the respondents informed that due to
economic dependence upon husbands they
live in such environment. They further
reported that they have no other place to go
and thus there is no option left except living
in such abusive environment.
On the other hand 24% of the respondents
live due to sake of their children.
12% of the victims informed that stigma is
associated with divorced or separated
women in our society. Thus due to fear of
loss of their self – image and also for
reputation and dignity of their parents, they
are living with their husbands or in – laws
even after experience of numbers
humiliating attacks.
The root cause behind domestic violence isthe concept of patriarchy, where inclusivepowers and all rights are given to males andwomen victimize as less to no power. In suchsociety male possessiveness and womensubordination is accepted as a social norm.
In patriarchal society like India women arepositioned in lower status than men in theirfamily and confine to the domestic dutiesonly and refrain from decision makingprocess. On the other hand male avail alleconomic and social power.
Different values, norms, beliefs and behaviorall are internalize through socializationamong girls since their childhood inpatriarchal society. Through socializationfemales are to internalize the concept ofdependency, obedience, powerless and shynature.
Patriarchy, different socialization, gender –inequality all are interrelated andresponsible for subjugation of women andgive the enjoyment of social and economicpower in the hands of men.
Wife beating, bride burning, sexual assault
by husband and sometimes ultimate leading
to female suicide are common incidents in
such society.
Where male dominance is strong, wife
battering is likely to be more frequent . Thus
through domestic violence a woman becomes
an instrument through which systematic
inequality is maintained.
Dowry is considered as one of the patriarchal
practices that contributes to the inferior
position of women in India and also
contributes to wife abuse.
Economic dependence upon husband is also
the reason for violent beating of the wife.
Domestic violence against women shows that
there is only theoretical constitutional
equality for men and women but in practice
women are not considered as equal as men in
the patriarchal form of society like India.
Most of the victims of domestic violence do
not approach to seek relief under different
legislations. Weak enforcement of
punishment mechanism under the legal
provisions in India is most frequent cause for
avoid to seek help from any formal sources.
Legal provisions against perpetrators ofdomestic violence are strictly enforced sothat no one can leave without punishment.
Most of the victims of domestic violence livein the marital home even after experience offrequent violent attacks as they have noother place to go due to absence of supportof their family, relatives or friends.
The central and state government shoulddevelop, enlarge and strengthen socialsupport service programmes for that womenwho are victims of domestic violence.
The experiences of violence withinhousehold’s boundary are big barrier ofwomen’s empowerment and ultimatelychallenge the socio – economic developmentof a country.
Thus educating the women and make themeconomic independent should be encouragedas it may be deterrent to domestic violence.
Problem of domestic violence is deep –rooted to the socio – cultural practices whichlead to gender – discrimination and gender –inequality.
There is need to transformation of society
based on gender – inequality and different
socialization among girls and women. In this
respect media, social activists, NGOs,
different government agencies can bring a
massive awareness towards gender – equality
and empowered them socially and
economically.
Gender – equality gives an esteemed and
honored status of women as stated in our
traditional religious scriptures.
THANK
YOU